Egg-tester



(No Model) l3 Sheets-Sheet 1,

J. L. RITTER.

EGG TESTER.

No. 563,804-, Patented Juy 14, 1896.

3 Sheeis Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

J. L. RTTER.

EGG TESTER.

Patented July i4, 1896.

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Modelf) J. L. RITTER. EGG TESTER. No. 563,804. Patented July 14, 1896.

a?, da F'. GJ-941137 477 4'? a@ @WM f lf., S` JMW/.21 laf/22m UNITED STATES .PATENT OEEicE.

JOHN L. RITTER, OF SHENANDOAH, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR TO JAMES G. W'HIT- LOCK AND SALLIE R. MCADAMS, ADMINISTRATBIX OF GEO. B. MCADAMS, DECEASED, OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.

EGG-TESTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 563,804, dated July 14, 1896.

Application led February 21, 1896. Serial No. 580,241. (No model.)

To aZZ/ 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN L. RITTER, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Shenandoah, in the county of Page and State of Vir ginia, have invented a new and useful Egg- Testing Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in egg-testers.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of egg-testers and to provide an ornamental and attractive apparatus designed to be placed in stores and the like, and adapted to receive and exhibit a tray of eggs, and capable of accurately showing the condition of the saine at a glance.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a device which will enable the eggs tested to be readily stamped or marked to indicate their character and which will afford a simple and effective means for exhibiting, advertising, and other matter.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of an egg-testin g apparatus constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a central vertical sectional view of the saine. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view. Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view, the hinged back portion or door being open. Fig. 5 is a detailperspective view of the removable egg holder or tray. Fig. 6 is a reverse plan view of the same.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

'l designates a cabinet or case constructed of any suitable material and comprising a substantially rectangular lower portion 2 and an upper portion 3, composed of sides 4 and of a back 5. The cabinet presents an ornamental and attractive appearance. It is provided on its exterior with advertising-spaces U, adapted to receive cards bearing advertising or other matter, and such cards are removably mounted in ways 7, formed by cleats front of the egg-testing apparatus. vertising-spaces may be arranged in any suitsuitably mounted on the cabinet or casing and provided with entrance slots or openings for the introduction of the cards. The sides of the upper portion are provided with inwardly-converging inner faces 8, formed by 55 upper portion of the case or cabinet at an 6o angle, as shown, any advertising matter mounted thereon will be advantageously eX- posed and may be conveniently read at the The adable manner, and any desired forni of cleats or ways may be employed for supporting cards, plates, signs, or the like, bearing the matter to be exhibited.

At the top of the lower rectangular portion 7o of the casing are arranged horizontally-disposed cleats 10, secured to the inner faces of the sides of the case or cabinet and projecting from the front thereof and forming supports or ways for the removable egg-holding tray ll. The extended front portions of the cleats 10 are provided with side pieces, and' they provide convenient means for supporting the egg-holding tray in an extended position and for facilitating its ready introduc- 8o tion into the case or cabinet.

The tray 1l is rectangular and is divided into two portions or sections by a transverse partition 12, and it is provided on the interior of the sections with supporting cleats or strips 13, adapted to arrange egg-holders 14 a suiiicient distance above the lower edges oi' the tray to prevent eggs, arranged within the holder, from projecting below the tray and being cracked or otherwise injured in placing 9.o

the tray in or removing it from the cabinetor casing. The egg-holders may be constructed of any suitable material and are provided with circular openings for the reception of the eggs, which are preferably supported by the usual fillers. The fillers are adapted to concentrate the light .thrown upon the eggs, by means hereinafter described, and the egg-holders are preferably supported by strips or rods arranged at right angles to roo each other and extending across the lower portion of each section of the egg-holding tray.

The light employed in testing eggs may be obtained from any suitable source, and may be electric, gas, or lamp light. ,Vhen electric lights are employed, they are centrally mounted on reflectors 1G, arranged on ahorizontally-disposed rock-shaft 17, journaled in suitable bearings of the cabinet or casin g, and

arranged within the lower portion thereof atv a point below the tray. The sockets of the electric lights are centrally secured to the reflectors, in any suitable manner, which are provided with threaded Shanks 18, screwing into suitable sockets 19 of the rock-shaft. The rock-shaft 17 is provided at one end with an arm 20, to which is connected an operating-rod 21, extending outward to the front of the cabinet or casing, and provided with a suitable handle. `The operating-rod is disposed horizontally and is capable of inward and outward reciprocation to swing the arm of the rock-shaft to adjust the reiiectors to arrange them at the desired angle.y

The reectors are maintained at any desired adjustment by means of a curved guide or keeper 22, secured to the inner face of one side of the lower portion of the ease or cabinet, and angularly bent at its terminals to form stops and to provide arms or portions for the'reception of suitable fastening devices.

The arm of the rock-shaft frictionally engages the curved guide or keeper, and is maintained in such engagement with a spring 23, connected with the rock-shaft. The spring 23 may be of any desired construction, but is preferably of spiralk form, disposed on one end of the roc r-shaft and interposed between a head or iiange 24 and a horizontal bar 25, which is provided with one of the bearings of the rock-shaft. A pair of horizontal bars 25 are provided and have suitable bearing recesses or openings for the reception of the Aends of the rock-shaft.

The reflectors of the rock-shaft are arranged horizontally when the electric lights are employed, but are adapted to set at an angle when lamps 2G are used. The lamps 2G may be of any desired construction and are mounted in a rearward extension 27 of the bottom portion of the cabinet or case, and is supported on the bottom of such extension. The lamp-burners are preferably mounted on a continuous rectangular oil-receptacle 28, which is provided with a suitable illin gopening and a screw-cap.

The rearward extension 27 of the casin g consists of ahorizontal bottom, vertical sides, and a hinged back or door 29, adapted to be swung open, as illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings. The hinged backor door consists of a frame provided with two compartments or spaces and supporting a sheet-metal covering which assists a pair of reflectors 30, arranged in the spaces or compartments of the frames of the hinged back or door. The reflectors 30 are provided with threaded Shanks 31,L and are detachably .mounted in threaded `sockets 32 in -a manner similar to the reflectors of the rock-shaft. The hinged back or door is supported in its open position. by slotted rods or bars 33, pivoted at their upper terminals to the sides of the frame of the hinged back or door, and receiving in their slotsheaded studs, mounted on the inner facesof the sides of the rearward extension of the cabinet or case. A pivoted button is mounted on the cabinet or case, and is adapted to secure the hinged back or door in its closed position. The reiiectors of :he hinged back or door throw the light from the lamps on the rock-shaft reflectors, which are set at an angle to throw the light upon the eggs contained within the tray. The top of the hinged ba'ek or door is provided with openings disposed over the chimneys of the lamps, and a semicylindrical hood 84 is mounted over the openings and is open at its ends.

The eggs are inspected through openings 35 of a semicylindrieal dome or cover 3(5,mounted in the open upper portion of the eggs or caninet, and located directly above the tray and constructed, preferably, of sheet-metal suitably braced and reinforced. The semicylindrical dome or cover is provided at its back with rollers 37, and it is supported at its front by studs 38, mounted on the inner faces of the sides of the case or cabinet. The rollers are arranged in suitable ways or grooves 39 of the case or cabinet to permit the Vdomeor cover to be moved rearward and swing upward to obtain access to the eggs, and handles 40 are arranged at the front of the dome or cover to enable the same to be readily manipulated. Thedome or coverhas a 'darkened or blackened inner face, and it is provided at its front and rear lower edges with strips 41 of fabric or other flexible material, to exclude light, and this construction intensifies the effect of the light thrown upon the bottom of the eggs and enables the person inspecting them to see readily their condition.

The semieylindrical dome or cover 36 is provided on its exterior with advertisingspaees 42, and has suitable ways for the reception of the cards or signs to be exhibited.

The front edge of the dome or cover is arranged a sufficient distance above the top of the tray to provide a space adjacent to the fabric-strip 41 for the reception of a shank or handle of an egg-marker 43, which is adapted to be moved across the front of the case or cabi-net, and forward and rearward to bring it over any egg in the tray. The marker may be provided with any number of stamps 44, 45, and 46. The stamp 44 is preferably cupshaped rand provided onits interior with removable letters similar to those usually employed in stamps, to enable' eggs which are perfectly fresh at the time of inspection to be stamped and dated to inform consumers of the character of the article purchased. llhe stamps 45 and 46 may bear any suitable 1mpression, such as bad and 2nd, t0 enable IOO TIO

eggs which are not perfectly fresh or bad to be properly marked.

The stamps are supplied with ink by means of a pad 47, mounted Within the case or cabi net on a suitable bracket or shelf, and the pad is preferably scmiegg-shaped to conform to the interior configuration of the cupshaped stamp 4i.

It will be seen that the egg-testing apparatus is simple and comparatively inexpen sive in construction, that it presents an ornamental and attractive appearance, and that it is adapted to display a tray of eggs to enable consumers to inspect the same readily, and that it affords an efficient advertising medium. it may also be apparent that it will enable eggs to be readilyhandled, inspected, and marked.

Changes in the form, proportion, and'minor details of construction maybe resorted to Without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention, su eh as employing any kind of electric or other lights, reflectors, and the like, and arranging the electrical connections as may be found necessary or desirable.

1What I claim isl. An egg-testing apparatus comprising a ease or cabinet, an egg-holding tray mounted therein, a rock-shaft journaled in the case or cabinet, located beneath the tray and provided With an arnna guide or keeper receiving the arm and adapted to be engaged by the same, a spring for holding the arm in frictional engagement with the guide or keeper, a reector for the lighting device mounted on the rock-shaft, and an operating-rod connected with the arm of the rock-shaft and adapted to set the reflector, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. .An egg-testing apparatus comprising a Y case or cabinet, an egg-holding tray mounted therein, a horizontally-disposed rock-shaft journaled in the case or cabinet and provided with a threaded socket and having an arm, a reflector for the lighting device having a threaded shank and detachably mounted in the threaded socket of the rock-shaft, a guide or keeper receiving the arm of the rock-shaft, a spiral spring disposed on the rock-shaft and holding the arm in frictional engagement with the guide or keeper, and an operating-rod connected with the arm and extending through thel 'ront of the cabinet or case, substantially as described.

An egg-testing apparatus comprising a cabinet or case provided with a rearward eX- tension having a hinged back or door, a tray mounted in the case or cabinet, a rock-shaft journaled in the case or cabinet, located beneath the tray and `provided with reflectors adapted to be set at the proper angle, lamps .mounted on the rearward extension, and rciiectors located in rear of the lamps and carried by the hinged back or door, substantially as described.

4. An egg-testing apparatus comprising a ease or cabinet containing a tray and an .adj ustable reflector beneath the same, the rearward extension composed of a bottom, sides, and a hinged back or door consisting of a frame provided with spaces or compartments, a sheet-metal covering for the iframe provided at the top With openings, a hood arranged over the openin gs, lamps mounted on the bottom of the rearward extension, and reflectors arranged on the hinged back or door and located in rear of the lamps, substantially as described.

An egg-testing apparatus comprising a casing, an egg-holding tray mounted in the casing, a rock-shaft carrying a threaded socket located beneath the tray, a reflector having a threaded shank detachably engaging the socket, and a lighting device substantially as described.

In testimony that l claim the foregoing as my oWn I have hereto ailiXed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

l J. L. RITTER. 1Witnesses:

J. EWVILT,

J. L. STROLE. 

